THE BOSS'S FIRST CHALLENGE
1228 Words
CHAPTER 2
The Boss's First Challenge
ALYA ZANE
10:02 A.M.
I stood outside Lucas Villano’s office with a notebook in one hand and my pride in the other.
I was two minutes late.
Not because I wanted to be.
Because his assistant had sent me the wrong floor.
Twice.
I took a deep breath and knocked.
“Come in.”
That voice.
Calm. Deep. Annoyingly confident.
I opened the door.
Lucas was standing beside the floor-to-ceiling window, looking over the city. His suit jacket was off, leaving him in a crisp white shirt with his sleeves rolled up.
I immediately looked away.
Focus, Alya.
He turned toward me.
“You're late.”
“Two minutes.”
“Two minutes is still late.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Then you should probably change the clock.”
His expression remained serious.
I wasn't sure if he was annoyed or amused.
“Sit.”
I walked toward the chair across from his desk.
Lucas sat down and opened a folder.
“I've reviewed your previous campaigns.”
“And?”
“You're talented.”
I blinked.
That was the second compliment I'd received from him in less than twenty-four hours.
Maybe he wasn't completely terrible.
Then he continued.
“But your work is inconsistent.”
There it was.
I leaned back.
“What exactly do you mean?”
“You have good ideas, but you don't always follow through.”
“That sounds like a management problem.”
His eyes lifted toward mine.
“Are you blaming your manager?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“I'm blaming the system.”
His eyebrow rose.
I smiled sweetly.
He stared at me for several seconds.
Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.
It was brief.
Quiet.
But it completely changed his expression.
I stared at him.
Lucas noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You're staring again.”
I immediately looked down at my notebook.
“I was thinking.”
“About?”
“How irritating you are.”
The corner of his mouth lifted.
“At least you're honest.”
He pushed a folder across the desk.
“This is your assignment.”
I opened it.
Inside was a proposal for the company's biggest upcoming campaign.
My eyes widened.
“This is huge.”
“Yes.”
“And you want me to handle it?”
“You and a small team.”
I flipped through the pages.
“You're giving me three weeks?”
“Two.”
I looked up.
“Two weeks?”
“Yes.”
“That's ridiculous.”
“You said you wanted realistic deadlines.”
“This isn't realistic.”
“Then prove me wrong.”
I stared at him.
He leaned back in his chair.
“You wanted a challenge, Ms. Zane.”
I closed the folder.
“Fine.”
“Fine?”
“I'll do it.”
Lucas nodded.
“I expected you to.”
I stood.
“Anything else?”
“Yes.”
I stopped.
“Don't disappoint me.”
I looked at him.
Something about those words made my confidence falter for half a second.
Then I smiled.
“Don't worry, Boss.”
I walked toward the door.
“And Lucas?”
He looked up.
“Try not to miss me while I'm working.”
His expression changed.
For the first time, I saw genuine amusement in his eyes.
“Trust me, Ms. Zane.”
His gaze stayed on mine.
“I won't.”
I left before my face could betray me.
---
“YOU DID WHAT?”
Camille nearly dropped her coffee when I told her about the assignment.
“I accepted.”
“You accepted a two-week deadline?”
“Yes.”
“For the company's biggest campaign?”
“Yes.”
She stared at me.
“You're insane.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn't a compliment.”
“I know.”
We spent the next several hours working.
Research.
Design concepts.
Market analysis.
Budget proposals.
Everything had to be perfect.
And unfortunately, Lucas seemed determined to make things even harder.
At 3:00 P.M., an email arrived.
FROM: LUCAS VILLANO
SUBJECT: Campaign Proposal
Need revisions on pages 4, 7, and 12.
I frowned.
“Already?”
Camille looked over my shoulder.
“He's fast.”
“He's annoying.”
“Same thing?”
“No.”
At 4:15 P.M., another email.
Page 7 still needs revision.
At 5:00 P.M.
Better. Page 12 needs clarification.
At 6:20 P.M.
Approved.
I stared at the screen.
“Approved?”
Camille smiled.
“Congratulations.”
I leaned back in my chair.
“Finally.”
Then another email appeared.
See me tomorrow at 8:00 A.M.
I groaned.
“Never mind.”
---
The next morning, I arrived at the office at 7:55.
Lucas was already there.
Of course.
I knocked on his door.
“Come in.”
I entered.
He looked at the clock.
“Five minutes early.”
“I didn't want another lecture about being late.”
“I don't lecture.”
“You do.”
He almost smiled.
“Sit.”
I placed the revised proposal on his desk.
“I finished the changes.”
He opened the folder.
For several minutes, he said nothing.
I waited.
Finally, he closed it.
“Good work.”
I blinked.
“That's it?”
“What were you expecting?”
“A complaint.”
“You're disappointed?”
“Surprised.”
He stood and walked toward the window.
“You're better than I expected.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“It means exactly what I said.”
“You didn't expect much from me?”
“I didn't know you.”
“And now?”
He turned toward me.
“Now I think you're stubborn.”
I crossed my arms.
“You say that like it's a bad thing.”
“It is when you're wrong.”
“And when I'm right?”
“Then it's useful.”
I smiled.
“Then I guess you'll have to get used to me.”
Lucas looked at me for a moment.
“I think that's what I'm worried about.”
My smile disappeared.
There was something different about the way he said it.
Not annoyed.
Not sarcastic.
Almost... thoughtful.
Before I could respond, his phone rang.
He answered.
“Lucas Villano.”
His expression changed immediately.
The relaxed look disappeared.
“I'm on my way.”
He ended the call.
I stood.
“Everything okay?”
“Family matter.”
He grabbed his jacket.
“Cancel my meetings for the afternoon.”
I nodded.
“Okay.”
He walked past me.
Then stopped.
“Thank you.”
I looked at him.
“For what?”
“For not asking questions.”
He left.
I stood there, strangely quiet.
For the first time, I realized something.
Maybe Lucas Villano wasn't as simple as I thought.
Maybe there was a side of him nobody at the office knew.
And somehow, I had a feeling I was going to see it sooner than I expected.
Because as I returned to my desk, I received a message from him.
Lucas: I'll be back tomorrow.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
Lucas: Don't work too late.
I smiled despite myself.
“Bossy,” I whispered.
But for some reason...
I didn't hate it.
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